The Office of the President, ARG Palace, in a statement said the two sides discussed the issues during a telephone conversation on Friday evening.

The statement further added that the Afghan national security adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar, national directorate of security director general Masoom Stanikzai, and presidential adviser Ahmad Nader Naderi were also present as President Ghani and Mr. McMaster held discussions on the issues of bilateral interest.

The latest telephone conversation between the Afghan and US officials came as Afghanistan is going through a critical moment facing a resurgent Taliban and other terrorist networks.

The Afghan government is busy working on the 4-year development plan of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces to further bolster the capabilities of the Afghan troops to suppress the insurgency led by several terrorist networks.

In his speech during the inauguration of army officers from the national military academy in Kabul last month, President Ghani said the government is close to finalize the 4-year plan, emphasizing that the Afghan Air Force will be further equipped until 2020.